I went to 11 ropner gardens and it is empty he moved out 2 years ago
I did a serch on google earth for 11 Ropner Gardens Darlington, Durham DL2 1FB and found that address is a block of flats!
Without question this has been my worst online buying experience to date.
I ordered several lights on 03 Oct 2009, the payment was taken immediately - almost £500. I was told delivery would be 2 - 4 weeks.
After more than 10 weeks of excuses, I demanded my money back. Some of the lights then magically came in stock. I still cancelled most of the order and like many others have complained, took another 9 emails, several weeks and a formal Final Notice before Legal Action letter before I got my money back. Many others have never seen their money again by reading reviews here.
This company is full of excuses, here are some direct quotes out of emails from them:
"we will have a firm delivery date within the next 7 working days." (June - *******@newlightingdirect.co.uk) (turned out they didn't)
"this order is booked in for delivery the next week and will be sent out on a next working day delivery as soon as it comes in." (June - *******@newlightingdirect.co.uk)
"the manufactures for these and they have told me that they are running behind on the orders." (June - *******@newlightingdirect.co.uk) (This is the recurring theme - their supplier keeps letting them down apparently)
"please be assured I will follow your order through personally if you are prepared to keep the order with us." (Diane - *******@newlightingdirect.co.uk)
"i am sorry but we physically can not do this on the system as it will not let us process a refund when there are good waiting to be invoiced." (June - *******@newlightingdirect.co.uk) (that one is a personal favourite! - they have a computer system which doesn't allow refunds while you still an order outstanding, and that's supposed to make it okay - how handy)
"I can see that the refund has been processed for you by the accounts team but if you are saying it is not in your account then i will get the accounts team to look in to this for you" (June - *******@newlightingdirect.co.uk) (Turns out it wasn't processed)
"We have tried all we can to keep you happy as stated I am very sorry for the delay but this was out of our hands." (Mark - *******@newlightingdirect.co.uk) (maybe this one is my favourite? They've tried all they could to keep me happy? Hilarious - I wouldn't call holding on to my money to the point Legal Action was underway "keeping me happy")
When I informed the company of my intent to write a review about them, this is what I was told (by Mark - *******@newlightingdirect.co.uk):
"your review as others is liable and can be met with legal action."
Unfortunately for Mark, the contents of this review are based on emails from New Lighting Direct, and my experience as described. The cheek to suggest that I should be worried about legal action if I went ahead and told others how I was mistreated.
It also has not helped this company seem to be impossible to contact by telephone. It is listed as "******* *******" but is strangely engaged almost permanently. I tried and got through once after trying 40-50 times, and got told I couldn't talk to anyone in the Customer Services or Accounts department, as they don't have phones!
Needless to say I had to resort back to email.
Now to help those who are still struggling with orders not delivered and refunds not issued:
1. Issue a formal Final Notice before Legal Action:
You must do this before you can pursue legal action. Templates for this letter can be found here - http://www.consumerdirect.gov.uk/after_you_buy/making-complaint/template-letters/letter_before_action/
And here is the address to send it to:
Diane Bernard
Director
NEW LIGHTING DIRECT LIMITED
UNIT G12 MORTON PARK
MORTON PARK WAY
DARLINGTON
DURHAM
DL1 4PQ
Or email:
*******@newlightingdirect.co.uk
2. Request a refund:
Make sure you have clearly asked for a refund, even in an email. The Distance Selling Regulations say they should do it as soon as possible, but they have 30 days maximum.
3. Issue a CHARGEBACK:
If you do not have a refund within 30 days, issue a CHARGEBACK.
If you used a Debit Card, and have not received goods within the stated time (2-4 weeks) (and a maximum of 30 days as stated in the Distance Selling Regulations) you can call your bank and ask for a CHARGEBACK to be issued on a fraudulent transaction.
Tell them you placed an order online with a company who did not deliver the goods or give you a refund and you think is fraudulent. The bank will investigate and they can reverse the transaction if found to be true.
OR 4. Credit Card:
If you used a Credit Card, contact your CC Company and explain as above - they can conduct a similar process to get your money returned.
5. Make a complaint to Trading Standards:
Please help stamp out this immoral activity by reporting your experience to the authorities - ******* 04 05 06.
If you haven't yet bought from them, take the advice from the growing number of reviews and don't bother.
When I mentioned these other reviews to Jason the "Sales guy" who doesn't do Customer Service queries, he told me most of the reviews are false and have been placed by their competitors. I struggled to believe him, and in any case, my review is real.
Some of the other reviews which quote emails are also amazingly similar to those I got, therefore leading me to believe they are genuine.
In any case these reviews are only here to help you make good decisions. I'll never buy from them again, and I'll be advising others the same.
Good luck to all.
I order the majority my purchases online & this site has given me the poorest service i have experienced to date. I have copied my e-mail communications with them below for you to form your own opinion. To date i have not received my money back & will be taking further advice about this. They took my money upfront 2½ months ago (25th Oct 2009) leading me to believe the lights would be delivered a few weeks later but when i cancelled just before xmas all they could say is that they have up to 28 days to pay it back to me, the cheek of this company!
From customer *******@newlightingdirect.co.uk 22/12/09
Dear Karen
Thank you for your email i am very sorry about the delay and i will cancel this order we quote up to 28 days for a refund to be made this is also stated in the Distance selling Act 2000.
Kind Regards
June
----- Original Message -----
From: karen
To: customer*******@newlightingdirect.co.uk
Sent: Tuesday, December 22,2009 12:36 PM
Subject: RE: Delivery
Further to my 2 e-mails below I have today checked your order tracking system but still no progress has been made despite my giving you ample opportunity & time to deliver these goods. You have twice promised me my goods & twice let me down.
Therefore I am now cancelling the attached order with you as of today & expect a full refund of my money immediately.
If you have any questions regarding the above request please refer to regulation number 19 of the Distance Selling Regulations 2000 informing you of my rights as a consumer & confirming my goods should have been delivered to me within 30 days of ordering.
I am entitled to my money back & if you fail to return my payment straight away I shall take this matter further & complain to Trading Standards about the shoddy service I have received
Regards
Karen
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: customer*******@newlightingdirect.co.uk [mailto:customer*******@newlightingdirect.co.uk]
Sent: 09 December 2009 11:58
To: karen
Subject: Re: Delivery
Dear Karen
Thank you for your email this order is booked in for delivery to us late next week once we have had the delivery we will email you to let you know a delivery date. I am very sorry about the delay on this order.
Kind Regards
June
----- Original Message -----
From: karen
To: customer*******@newlightingdirect.co.uk
Sent: Tuesday, December 08,2009 5:44 PM
Subject: FW: Delivery
Will anyone be responding to the e-mail I sent to you 4 days ago?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: karen
Sent: 05 December 2009 08:14
To: 'customer*******@newlightingdirect.co.uk'
Subject: RE: Delivery
Please see your e-mail to me below advising that you would have a firm delivery date within 7-10 days. When can I expect my order, I have looked on your tracking system & yet again there has been no progress? I believe I ordered these goods in plenty of time to be delivered before Christmas & that this is not an unreasonable expectation, wouldn't you agree? The lights I have ordered are not anything so different from lighting being sold on the high street, I ordered online for convenience but now feel it is becoming more of an 'inconvenience' due to the length of time I have had to wait!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: customer*******@newlightingdirect.co.uk [mailto:customer*******@newlightingdirect.co.uk]
Sent: 23 November 2009 13:33
To:
Subject: Delivery
Dear Karen
I am very sorry about the delay, you should of been informed by customer
Services of the delay, however I can see that there is no notes on your
Order to say you have. I have just checked the manufacturers production
Lists and your order is in manufacture at the moment, we will have a firm
Delivery date within the next 7-10 working days.
I have upgraded your delivery to our priority next working day
Delivery so the day they arrive it will be picked and packed and sent out
The same day. I will email you on the day so you are aware of the delivery
Day. Please accept my apologies that you have not been kept informed of the
Delay I will be reporting this to my Manager.
If you need any further information please do not hesitate to contact me.
Regards
June
New Furniture Direct Ltd
Unit G12 Morton Park
Morton Park Way
Darlington
DL1 4PQ
******* *******
www.newlightingdirect.co.uk
www.newfurnituredirect.co.uk
www.newbarbecuesdirect.co.uk
08/02/10 I have just prepared my formal final notice to be sent to this company by recorded delivery tomorrow giving them 14 days to pay my money back before i begin legal proceedings.
I also wrote to my credit card company 31/01/10 to pursue costs from them & complained to trading standards who advised me to send a final notice letter.
Now i will wait & see if/when i get my money back!
Trading standards need a large number of complaints before they will even consider investigating a company so people need to ring them on *******0506 to stop New Lighting Direct continuing to rip people off.
Dont buy of these con men they will take your money and you will never see your goods or money again
Domain name:
newlightingdirect.co.uk
Registrant type:
UK Limited Company, (Company number: *******)
Reply from newlightingdirect.co.uk:
New Furniture Direct Ltd
Unit G12 Morton Park
Morton Park Way
Darlington
DL1 4PQ
******* *******
www.newlightingdirect.co.uk
www.newfurnituredirect.co.uk
www.newbarbecuesdirect.co.uk
Reply from WWW.NEWLIGHTINGDIRECT.CO.UK
Dear Mr K Berry
My name is Diane I am the Director of New Furniture Direct Ltd. June has just emailed me all the emails that have been going back and forth between yourselves. I am sorry for the delay in supplying your lights. I can see that there was an email sent to you at the time of order to let you know there would be delay. I am sorry that you had to chase your order with us, I can see that June did respond to you as soon as she had the information.
With regards to the review you have placed on sitejabber about my company, With regards to your second email New Furniture Direct Ltd has nothing to do with Lloyds Furniture Ltd. I purchased this web address when I purchased the company in March 2008 as it matched the company name.
I do believe that people are entitled to their opinion as you are yours and if you must put a negative review on the Internet I would ask if you please keep it fair and not involve innocent parties.
With regards to your refund, as June has explained to you we are not in receipt of you Money this is held by Paypal, I have spoke to my accounts and they tell me that they have responded to PayPal.
Regards
Diane Bernard
Director
Update: 02/12/2009
Paypal are now in the process of giving me a refund
But i shouldn't of needed to got to all this trouble just to get my own money back.
Anyone that is still owed money by this company or haven't received their goods then i suggest you write to Diane Bernard and let her know of your problem and of course leave an honest review of this company to reflect your experience with them because Diane Bernard believes she has thousands of satisfied customers, but if you look at the recent reviews for this company it certainly doesn't reflect this